LMU, in partnership with the LAist, hosted candidates for California’s gubernatorial race and Los Angeles’ mayoral race on Monday, April 13. Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa both came to pitch their case for Governor, while non-profit executive Adam Miller discussed his campaign for Mayor.
During a sit-down with the host of AirTalk, Larry Mantle, the candidates spoke for around 25 minutes, covering a range of issues facing the state. Starting at 4 pm, Villaraigosa was the first to take the stage.
Villaraigosa first ran for Governor in 2018 against Governor Newsom and now has no qualms differentiating himself from the current head of California. He pointed to the Governor’s COVID policy that he claimed kept schools shut down longer than any other state. “That is a policy that he and I differed on, very strongly,” he said.
As California faces a chronic budget deficit during Governor Newsom’s administration, spending and tax policy have been a hot-button issue for all candidates in the running. Villaraigosa claimed the only way to get out of the debt crisis California is facing is through spending cuts. “Yes, we’re going to have to cut,” he said. “Anybody that says that the next governor is not going to cut when you’re looking at $18 to $35 billion deficits is selling you snake oil.”
In reference to the California Billionaire Tax Act on the ballot in November, Villaraigosa shut down the idea. “The federal government should do [the billionaire tax] because at the end of the day, they’re just leaving, and they’re leaving as we speak.”
While rejecting taxes on the wealthy, Villaraigosa emphasized economic growth.“The next governor has got to build again, put people in good middle class jobs, repair our highways and our roads, and focus a lot more on public transit,” he said. Endorsing Ezra Klein’s Abundance vision for Democrats, Villaraigosa pitched cutting regulations on developers to bring more investment in infrastructure.
When asked about the rising gas prices Californians are facing, he maintained a similar policy. “We’ve got to put a moratorium on regulations that, you know, make it impossible for these refiners to exist,” he said.
Villaraigosa closed his remarks with his experience as a “fighter”, touting his record as a member of the State Assembly and leading Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. Citing the death penalty, criminal justice reform, and anti-immigrant policies from the 1990s, Villaraigosa said “I took all three of them on, I have stood for the courage of my convictions.”
Becerra, former California Attorney General from 2017 to 2021, was next to present his candidacy. The former HHS Secretary has been campaigning as the “Healthcare governor for California” and highlighted his support of Medicare for All throughout the interview.
“That’s what we need to do, because we have a system with so many moving parts that it’s so expensive,” he said. While maintaining that it’s possible to establish a single-payer system in California, Becerra did say it would require federal support. “Congress has to help us harmonize,” he said, speaking of the legal work necessary to centralize the state’s healthcare. “I don’t think this federal government is going to help us get single payer.”
With recent costly cases of fraud within California’s public programs, Becerra spoke on his experience as the state’s top prosecutor, noting that he set up a legal division to investigate healthcare fraud back in his time as attorney general. “There’s so many moving parts in our health care system, and it’s easy to hide the money and how it’s spent,” he said.
On the current deficit crisis, Becerra committed to a varied approach with tax increases and spending cuts. “You can’t do just one side,” he said. Calling on his time running one of the largest budgets in the country as HHS Secretary, Becerra claimed a single payer system would ultimately save the state money. Becerra added that the cuts would come from reducing inefficiencies in the healthcare system’s “moving parts.”
When asked about California Democrats’ staunch support of Unions and claims that officials are “beholden” to them, Becerra stood with working people. “I think anyone who fights for workers to make sure they get paid a fair way, they have access to benefits, is doing what we want to do for any working family,” he said.
When asked where he differs from Governor Newsom, Becerra brought up the ICE raids across California over the last year. As governor, Becerra claims he would have used the state’s law enforcement to intervene in illegal actions from ICE officials as soon as possible. “The moment you step over that line, our law enforcement can investigate,” he said. “We can prosecute the ICE police, and we can incarcerate the ICE police if they violate our laws.”
In the wake of Representative Swalwell’s recent scandal and subsequent campaign suspension, the race for California’s next governor has been shaken up. While Villaraigosa has been stuck hovering around 1%, Becerra has made a recent jump to 23%, leading all candidates according to a recent Independent Voter poll.
Lately both candidates have thrown shots at each other in separate interviews, with Villaraigosa citing a scandal in which an aide for Becerra’s campaign for attorney general diverted funds to inflate their salary. Becerra dismissed the attack, calling it a “MAGA talking point”, in an interview before the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.
Tech entrepreneur and non-profit executive Adam Miller was last to speak, discussing his campaign for Los Angeles’ next mayor. Miller mentioned his over 30 year experience as a leader in various sectors including his work at Better Angels, a tech-based non-profit aimed at solving the homelessness crisis.
When asked about his lack of experience in government, Miller spoke on his time working with public officials. “That’s given me direct contact with many elected officials, many people that work in their offices and many people that run the various agencies in order to get our work done,” he said.
As an outsider candidate, Miller took aim at a Los Angeles city government “rife with issues around transparency, fraud and accountability.” With his time spent fighting homelessness, Miller blamed Los Angeles leadership and their inability to manage a city at scale with issues such as the housing shortage. He favored easing regulations for developers to boost supply. “We have to make the city more attractive for real estate developers,” Miller said. “You have to make it easier to get permitted.”
For Miller, his lack of tenure in the public sector is an “asset” rather than a liability. “I come in with no favors to repay, no alliances that have to be upheld,” he said. Miller is currently polling in fourth place with 13.4%, according to a recent poll from LMU.
Both races hold their primaries on June 2. Until then, candidates will be pitching their visions for California’s next leadership positions.
